The biggest moment of the evening came when MS Dhoni, fondly known as ‘Thala’, walked out to a thunderous reception at Chepauk, with the atmosphere turning electric.
Sanju Samson and MS Dhoni (PC: CSK/X)
Former stars of Chennai Super Kings reunited ahead of the franchise’s pre-season fan event, ‘ROAR 2026’, as excitement builds for the upcoming Indian Premier League season.
The five-time champions hosted the fan engagement event at the iconic MA Chidambaram Stadium on March 22, drawing a packed and emotional crowd.
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The biggest moment of the evening came when MS Dhoni, fondly known as ‘Thala’, walked out to a thunderous reception at Chepauk, with the atmosphere turning electric. Fans were visibly emotional as the deafening cheers echoed across the stadium. CSK shared a video of Dhoni’s entry on X with the caption:
“Thala Dharisanam #Roar26 #WhistlePodu.”
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Thala Dharisanam #Roar26 #WhistlePodu pic.twitter.com/RST5EpXKct
— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) March 22, 2026
Another heartwarming highlight from the event saw MS Dhoni share a hug with long-time teammate Suresh Raina, a moment that instantly struck an emotional chord with fans.
CSK shared the clip on X with the caption “This hug > #Roar26 #WhistlePodu”, as the reunion of two franchise icons brought back memories of their glory years together.
This hug > #Roar26 #WhistlePodu pic.twitter.com/H5Zu8PZjQK
— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) March 22, 2026
Dhoni, 44, is set to represent CSK once again in IPL 2026, with speculation growing that this could be his final season in the tournament. The veteran wicketkeeper-batter remains one of only four active players to have featured in every IPL edition, alongside Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Manish Pandey.
Over his IPL career, Dhoni has amassed 5,439 runs in 278 matches at an average of 38 and a strike rate of 137, placing him sixth on the all-time run-scorers list.
The franchise also posted multiple clips featuring Dhoni, along with glimpses of Sanju Samson, who was welcomed warmly by the Chennai crowd.
“Anbuden welcome, Sanju Samson! #WhistlePodu #Roar26,” read the caption on CSK’s post.
Anbuden welcome, Sanju Samson! #WhistlePodu #Roar26 pic.twitter.com/j85ULbBKRt
— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) March 22, 2026
Adding to the nostalgia, former CSK cricketer S Badrinath shared a picture on X featuring several franchise greats posing with the team’s five IPL trophies. The image included Ambati Rayudu, Matthew Hayden, Muttiah Muralitharan, Parthiv Patel, Suresh Raina, Dwayne Bravo, Harbhajan Singh, Joginder Sharma, Murali Vijay, and Lakshmipathy Balaji.
“Oldie goldie squad,” Badrinath captioned the post.
O(ldie)G squad #Roar26 #WhistlePodu #CSK @ChennaiIPL pic.twitter.com/MsKUhTJe3s
— S.Badrinath (@s_badrinath) March 22, 2026
CSK will begin their IPL 2026 campaign against the Rajasthan Royals in Guwahati on March 30. They will then face Punjab Kings (April 3), defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru (April 5), and Delhi Capitals (April 11).
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